Sharings and reflections by Sr. Ellie Finlay of St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation

Friday, January 11, 2008

A place for meditation

One of the most important meditation principles is that of creating conditions conducive to practice. Here's some advice from the Meditation Society of Australia:

It is best to create a permanent meditation place. Your meditation place may be anything from a quiet room in the house, a table or a corner of your study desk, to even the shade of your favourite tree in the backyard. It doesn't matter where it is, just as long as you are able to find peace of mind there and access it regularly.

Ideally on a little table, place a cloth and other inspirational objects - such as a leaf from an amazing forest, a beautiful crystal, a crucifix or other sacred object, or a picture of a spiritual figure. If you cannot have a permanent meditation place, it is just as effective to create this space anew with every meditation. Just have the components (e.g. cloth, inspirational object, candle, incense) in a bundle, ready to go. Put simply, this place is an entrance to your heart - think of it as a shrine to your soul. Whatever inspires you spiritually is perfect.

I'm fortunate enough to have a small room in my house dedicated to meditation. But just a little corner will do. Of course, if you live in a city with a meditation center you can always go there to practice. The important thing is to find or create a place. Then make use of it!